BUSH TO U.N., "LAY OFF ISRAEL"

Bush to U.N.: Lay Off Israel (INN)
(IsraelNN.com) United States President George W. Bush urged the United Nations to reform its Human Rights Council Tuesday, criticizing the body for ignoring abuses in places like Iran "while focusing its criticism excessively on Israel.”

"The American people are disappointed by the failures of the Human Rights Council," Bush said. "The United Nations must reform its own Human Rights Council."

In the course of his speech, Bush pointed out several regimes which he termed "brutal" and "cruel." He announced new sanctions against the military dictatorship in Myanmar (Burma), accusing it of imposing "a 19-year reign of fear" that denies the basic freedoms of speech, assembly and worship.

Bush blasts UNHRC for anti-Israel bias (JPost)
US President George W. Bush blasted the United Nations Human Rights Council for singling out Israel while ignoring major human rights violators in his speech at the opening of the UN General Assembly Tuesday morning.

Bush said that in order for the UN to be credible in standing up for human rights, "the UN must reform its own human rights council."

He called the UN "silent on repression" in places like Caracas and Teheran while it focuses its criticism "excessively on Israel."

Elsewhere he criticized "brutal regimes" including that in Iran, but otherwise avoided addressing the Islamic power, though the US is leading an international campaign to keep it from acquiring nuclear weapons.